As Muslim faithfuls prepare to celebrate their Eid-ul-Adha festival in a couple of days, traders of ram at the popular Kara market along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, have decried low patronage.
Naija News reports that the Eid-ul-Adha festival of Muslims is characterised by the slaughter of rams, however, some faithful have expressed unhappiness about the fact that people might not kill rams for thi year’s celebration due to the economic hardship.
Traders at the ram market have complained about low patronage ahead of this year’s celebration. They blamed the development on the sudden increase in the cost of transporting animals from the northern part of the country.
While speaking to The Punch, one of the sellers identified as Abdulrazaq Ibrahim said, “I get my rams from Adamawa State. Last year, I transported them with N600,000 but this year it is N1.6m. That is why the one of N90,000 last year has increased to N170,000 this year. The amount we spend bringing these rams here from the North is the reason they are so expensive this year and not many people can afford them.”
Another trader, Kunle Moshood said he believes it’s the hike in fuel prices that has caused high transportation costs for the animals.
He submitted that “Payment for transportation per ram last year was cheaper but this year is higher. The increment amounted to pay N1.5 million compared to the N800,000 we paid last year. I have not calculated the increase in price tags of their feeds such as Soya beans, Kowa and Jusa which are exorbitant.”
Another seller, Awwal Abdullahi, said, “I do not believe the removal of subsidy led to this increment. I sold over 1,500 rams to top government officials last year, but this year I have been selling two or three per day which I’m not happy with.
“I get my ram from Yobe State and I pay N500 on each ram for carrying them but it has increased to N950 this year. The size of the Rams also is a factor. Last year, I carried them for N1m but this year it has increased to N1.8m. The least of my ram is N300,000.”
On the part of buyers, one of them, who simply identified himself as Oluwagbenga said “It’s surprising that last year I bought two rams and each cost N80,000. Today, I came to the market to buy just one as I have heard about the outrageous prices of ram. On getting to Kara, it has really increased as the seller told me he could only sell what I bought for N80,000 last year for N300,000 after haggling from N350,000.
“I don’t believe the subsidy has affected the prices, is it a ram subsidy? Even if it’s getting high it shouldn’t be more than N100,000.
Another buyer, Sade Adelowo too said, “I came from Ikotun and I encountered gridlocks. On getting here, I was shocked to hear the prices of rams. Surprisingly, the size of ram I bought for N60,000 last year, I begged to get it for N100,000 this year.”
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